Are you the smartest? What interview questions do successful entrepreneurs ask? Questions for business

Perhaps, only a rare daredevil sets off on a journey through an unfamiliar country without taking a guidebook with him. But among start-up entrepreneurs there are more than enough such brave men. But the strategy "the main thing is to get involved in the fight, and then we'll figure it out" can hardly be called successful for business, unless its owner follows the principle "we are not looking for easy ways."

Young businessmen have a lot to learn from brilliant inventors, because an innovator lives in the soul of every entrepreneur, right?

For example, Nikola Tesla never put his plans into action until he had a clear vision of how it would work. He perfected all his inventions exclusively in the laboratory of his own brain.

“In this way,” Tesla wrote, “I can quickly develop and refine the concept without touching anything. When I have already implemented in the invention all the improvements that I can think of, and I see no flaw anywhere, I give the product of my brain a concrete form. And my device always works the way I intended; there hasn't been a single exception in 20 years."

Having a clear idea of ​​what your business will be like tomorrow directly determines its effectiveness today. To start a business, you need a plan and an understanding of how it will work.

“The plan, to be sure, was excellent: simple and clear, it’s better not to come up with. He had only one drawback: it was completely unknown how to bring it into execution. Lewis Carroll, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"

The ultimate goal of business is to serve people. What is the purpose of your business? Do you already have an answer to this question? Great. Then review the following list of questions. Perhaps it will help you better shape your business model.

20 questions for a budding entrepreneur

1. What field of activity does my business belong to?
2. What are the boundaries of my business: region, country, whole world?
3. In which segment (B2B/B2C) will my business operate?
4. In what price niche will my business operate?
5. What are the opportunities for my business in related and other industries?
6. How much money will my business bring in six months, a year: revenue, profit?
7. Who are my competitors? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
8. What makes my company different from competitors?
9. What value does my business bring to clients?
10. Who are my potential clients? What are their needs and expectations?
11. How does my business meet customer needs?
12. Where to look and how to attract potential customers?
13. What does it look like organizational structure my company? *
14. Who does what, who reports to whom and is responsible for what in my company?
15. How is the interaction within the company?
16. How is accounting kept in my company?
17. Where and how can I reduce the influence of the human factor in the work of my company?
18. How can each process in my company be improved?
19. What business processes can be simplified or automated?
20. How to ensure that my business works without my direct participation?

* Even if your company consists only of you, the structure is still needed. This will allow you to understand which people will be needed in the first place, what they will do and what they will be responsible for.

What is the value of your offer?

If you can't explain in simple words in three sentences why people want your product, you don't have a value proposition, and therefore you don't have a business. Dot.

Will there be demand for your product?

The Seinfeld character was convinced that his key to wealth was to create a bra. He has not done any research to confirm that there is a demand for his product. Don't think you can create demand where there was none at all. Don't sell another men's bra.

What makes your product different from competitors?

Starbucks led people to believe they needed a $4 caffeinated concoction, and Louis Vuitton convinced them to shell out $1,500 for denim handbags. But it's not just marketing. If you want to succeed in business, you need to offer tangible value that others don't. For example, the lowest possible prices (Wal-Mart), original design (Apple), exceptional convenience (FedEx). Find what is the advantage of your product, and hit that point.

Is your business scaling?

The difference between modest wealth and obscene wealth lies in scale. It's good when you spend less and less on the release of each next product. Take software for example. Once Microsoft has paid to develop the code, the marginal cost of releasing each additional copy of Windows is negligible. Some models don't scale. For example, in the service sector, where, along with income, the need for personnel is growing.

How personally committed are you to your work?

You have a family and two children. Are you ready to work 100 hours a week for the next two years to grow your startup? If you want to own everything, be prepared to sacrifice everything - at least to begin with.

What is your strength?

Google builds powerful search algorithms, Steinway works wonders with wood, Cisco sniffs around and buys promising new technologies. Realize what you're good at and stick with it. An obvious remark, but a lot of ardent entrepreneurs got burned by this. There are so many possibilities in the world.

What is your weakness?

Know what you are good at and what is bad. For example, Apple does not make cameras for the iPhone, but buys them on the side. Countless online stores outsource websites and payment systems to third-party developers. Wasting resources to get mediocre results is suicide. Do what you can and find reliable partners to handle everything else.

How much will your clients pay?

Why do people pay twice as much for Vanish as they do for generic bleach? Finding an upper limit on the price a customer is willing to pay for a product, whether it's an iPhone or a bottle of bleach, is one of the most powerful levers for profit. Consultants are paid a lot of money to help determine the right price.

What power do your customers have?

What happens if you sell rubber scrapers to the only window cleaning company in town? If the buyer requires big discounts your business will end. It is better to expand your customer base in advance.

What power do your suppliers have?

The fewer suppliers you have, the more power they have. The production of antique clocks from gnarled pine may seem great idea, but what if you only have one source of knotty wood? Answer: you have to pay. On the other hand, beware of hungry suppliers who are ready to work very cheaply - they often do not monitor quality.

How to sell a product?

Dell Computer sells its computers directly. General Motors and Coca-Cola rely on distributors. Clothing companies such as Ralph Lauren use both internal and external distribution channels. And Apple is opening branded stores. Whatever sales method you choose, make sure it aligns with your overall business strategy.

How should you promote your product?

Telling everyone about your company and not going broke is not an easy task. In the mid-1990s, America Online spent so much money distributing demos of its software that then I had to hide these expenses in the balance sheet. Later, this accounting technique was banned and millions of accounting profits disappeared.

What is the threat of new players entering the market?

If you can make money in your sector of the market, competition will definitely appear. If not a direct competitor (remember what Microsoft did with Netscape), then another technology could pull the rug out from under your feet (look what they did with Kodak digital photography). Long before that happens, build barriers to new entrants - get a patent, get a long lease, build a loyal consumer base.

How will you protect your intellectual property?

A small addition to the previous point. Let's say you've invented a car that can reach speeds of up to 240 km/h on just one solar energy. A few months later, five smart competitors have taken apart your model and are now bringing their own versions to market. Before showing samples to the public, issue a temporary patent. It will protect your idea for a year while you refine the details.

Which initial capital you need?

Any investor investing in early stage companies and any small business consultant will tell you that most startups fail due to lack of capital. While there are no hard and fast rules, "double your initial estimate of the required capital," says Jim Pack, head of dental software developer Curve Dental.

How will you finance your business?

You have a choice: a rich aunt, credit cards (dangerous), an angel investor, venture capital (if you're in a serious business), a bank loan (good luck finding it), and the most expensive way is to issue shares. Be careful: selling shares leads to dilution of capital, loss of control and management difficulties. In general, improve your business if you can. And finally, do not forget to correlate the timing of the receipt of money from your assets and the timing of the payment of liabilities. The mismatch can be painful.

How much money do you need to get through the first few years?

For those who overslept the previous paragraph: watch the money. Plenty of entrepreneurs brag about financial growth projections, but their pockets are empty even before Good times streak on the horizon. (Remember the bankrupt dot-coms?) Be patient with Aeron chairs and Macs until you make more than you spend.

What are your financial projections?

Movement is not possible if you do not have a destination. Two important milestones: 1) operating ROI - when your business gets more money than it spends over a given period, and 2) the return on investment when you finally recoup your initial investment (adjusted for inflation). Financial projections must be justified. Draw a too optimistic picture - and experienced investors will run away from you. And you will run out of money.

How to make your assistants happy?

What is American Idol without Simon Cowell? Soon we will all know, but many people think that the show will not be what it used to be. If you happen to find a great talent, try to keep it. Salary is just part of the equation.

What is your final goal?

Want to dump your business to the first person you meet with money? So did the owners of MySpace, but not Facebook. Different goals require different strategies. Always remember what you are aiming for.

Entrepreneurship Fundamentals

1. Economic theories about the essence and role of entrepreneurship. Modern doctrines of entrepreneurship.

2. The concept and content of entrepreneurship

3. Goals, functions and basic properties of entrepreneurship.

4. Principles of business organization.

5. Character traits modern Russian entrepreneurship.

6. General principles typologies of entrepreneurship

7. Classification of the main types of entrepreneurship. Characteristics of the production

entrepreneurship.

Intermediary and financial-credit business. Their characteristic.

Characteristics of business entities: individuals and legal entities.

Civil law characteristics of an individual entrepreneur.

Rights and obligations of individual entrepreneurs, their personal characteristics.

The system of motives for the development of entrepreneurship.

Essence business environment, its impact on the development of entrepreneurship.

Characteristics of the external and internal business environment.

The market as an environment for the existence of entrepreneurs.

Characteristics of organizational and legal forms of entrepreneurial activity. Simple and complex organizational and legal forms.

Economic partnerships: their main types, characteristics, features.

Production cooperatives: their characteristics, features of functioning.

Economic companies: their characteristics, types, features.

Joint stock companies: CJSC. JSC. Characteristics, features of functioning.

State and municipal unitary enterprises. Characteristics, features of functioning.

The essence of small business. Criteria for assigning subjects market economy to small business.

The role of small business in a market economy.

Advantages and disadvantages of small business.

Priority directions of development and forms state support small business

Financial, credit and property support for small businesses.

Taxation of small businesses. Simplified and imputed taxation systems.

The main stages of creating your own business.

Sources of entrepreneurial ideas and methods of their selection.

Sources of funds for the formation of authorized capital when creating your own business

Characteristics of constituent documents. Charter and memorandum of association, structure and content.

Developing a business plan when starting your own business. Structure and content.

Forms of organizing your own business: purchase ready business, use when creating a lease. franchising.

The procedure for state registration of a new enterprise.

Licensing and certification of entrepreneurial activity.

The system of relations between entrepreneurs and partners

Transactions: types, characteristics, implementation procedure.

Contracts: types, content, procedure for conclusion.

Leasing as a form of business. Types of leasing contracts.

Essence and content of franchising and factoring agreements.

Responsibility of entrepreneurs for violation of contractual obligations.

The essence of entrepreneurial risk.

Factors of occurrence of entrepreneurial risk.

Classification of types of entrepreneurial risk

Methods for assessing business risk.

Methods and means of minimizing entrepreneurial risk. Insurance.

The essence of business secrecy. Information constituting a business secret.

Types of business secrets.

System of measures to protect business secrets.

Responsibility of entrepreneurs for the disclosure of business secrets.

The essence of entrepreneurial culture, its main elements.

Business ethics of entrepreneurs.

Responsibility of entrepreneurs, essence, meaning, forms.

Types and forms of responsibility. Civil law, administrative responsibility.

Characteristics of the criminal liability of entrepreneurs.

Basic forms and methods of state regulation of entrepreneurial activity.

Measures of state support for entrepreneurial activity.

Possible causes and forms of business termination.

Essence and types of reorganization of business organizations.

Insolvency (bankruptcy) of the organization. bankruptcy procedures. liquidation of the organization.

What simplified methods of accounting can be used by small businesses?
List of simplified accounting methods, including simplified financial statements(hereinafter referred to as simplified methods), is given in the Information of the Ministry of Finance of Russia No. PZ-3/2015 "On the simplified system of accounting and financial statements".
Is it possible to correct errors in cash documents and how is the expenditure of cash proceeds from individual entrepreneurs
An individual entrepreneur (IP) can correct errors in all documents related to the accounting of cash transactions, except for debit and credit cash orders (paragraph 2, subparagraph 4.7, paragraph 4 of Directive No. 3210-U).
How have the rules for the use of printing for organizations and individual entrepreneurs changed in 2015?
In law individual entrepreneurs(IP) and organizations are not required to have a seal. Organizations received this opportunity recently, namely after the President Russian Federation signed Law No. 82-FZ “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation Regarding the Removal of Compulsory Printing by Business Companies”.
What is the procedure for conducting cash transactions by individual entrepreneurs (IP)?
It is very important for every individual entrepreneur whose activities are related to the conduct of cash transactions, it is very important to know how to act in accordance with applicable law. Violations of cash discipline threaten individual entrepreneurs with fines. We will try to understand the main points regarding the observance of cash discipline by individual entrepreneurs. Instruction No. 3210-U regulates the procedure for conducting cash transactions by individual entrepreneurs. According to this decree, some relief is provided for two categories of taxpayers.
What is the procedure for the use of cash register equipment (CCP) for individual entrepreneurs (IP) in 2015
Individual entrepreneurs engaged in the provision of services to the population in 2015 may not use cash registers (CRE) if they issue forms strict accountability(BSO). This procedure was established in paragraph 2 of Art. 2 of the Federal Law of May 22, 2003 No. 54-FZ (hereinafter - Law No. 54-FZ).
What is more profitable to open - IP or LLC? Compare the features of both options
In almost all respects, except for the last one, registration as an individual entrepreneur is more profitable than registering an LLC. However, when choosing to carry out business activities, it is worth thinking not only about the risks, but also about the benefits of one way or another, related to the provisions of the law.
How to assemble a team for a startup?
When you just founded a company, and your eyes are on fire, and you are still far from off-scale indicators, it is very difficult to convince people to come to work for you and devote their time to product development. This is much more difficult to do than to persuade investors to invest their money.
After registering a limited liability company, is there an obligation to open a current account with a bank, and what details should I pay attention to when opening a current account?
After state registration as a legal entity, you have the right to open a bank account (for companies with limited liability- paragraph 4 of Art. 2 of the Federal Law of February 8, 1998 No. 14-FZ "On Limited Liability Companies"). Opening an account is not an obligation legal entity.
Who should apply CCT?
All organizations and individual entrepreneurs are required to apply CCP under two conditions:
1. the sale of goods and services is carried out;
2. payments are made in cash in cash or using payment cards.
Where can I get support for the implementation of an innovative project?
A system of development institutions has been formed in the Russian Federation, whose activities are aimed at organizing grant and loan financing innovative projects at different stages of the innovation development cycle.
How to apply for installment payment of insurance premiums?
According to paragraph 11 of Part 1 of Article 29 of the Federal Law of July 24, 2009 No. 212-FZ “On insurance premiums to the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation, the Social Insurance Fund of the Russian Federation, the Federal Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund”, the bodies monitoring the payment of insurance premiums have the right to provide payers of insurance premiums to defer (installment plan) the repayment of amounts owed on insurance premiums, penalties and fines in the manner and cases provided for by the said federal law.
Why do individual entrepreneurs who do not carry out activities continue to accrue insurance premiums?
In accordance with Article 7 of the Federal Law of December 15, 2001 No. 167-FZ "On Compulsory Pension Insurance in the Russian Federation", individual entrepreneurs, lawyers, notaries engaged in private practice, and other self-employed persons are insurers under compulsory pension insurance who are obliged to pay insurance premiums for compulsory pension insurance in a timely manner and in full in the manner prescribed by Federal Law No. 212-FZ of July 24, 2009 “On insurance contributions to the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation, the Social Insurance Fund of the Russian Federation, the Federal Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund. At the same time, a certain level of insurance guarantees is established for insured persons in terms of the formation of their pension rights, which is ensured by the receipt of insurance contributions to the budget of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation.

How to buy a leased premises from the state?
Small and medium-sized businesses enjoy the pre-emptive right to buy out the property they rent, which is state-owned by a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, or municipal property, in accordance with the Federal Law of July 22, 2008 No. 159-FZ “On the Peculiarities of the Alienation of Real Estate State-Owned by the Subjects of the Russian Federation or in Municipal Ownership and Leased by Small and Medium-Sized Businesses, and on Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts Russian Federation" (hereinafter - the federal law No. 159-FZ).

What category of entrepreneurs is classified as small and medium business?
Small and medium-sized businesses include those entered into the unified State Register legal entities consumer cooperatives And commercial organizations(with the exception of state and municipal unitary enterprises), and individuals, entered in the unified state register of individual entrepreneurs and carrying out entrepreneurial activity without formation of a legal entity (hereinafter referred to as individual entrepreneurs), peasant (farm) enterprises that meet the following conditions

How to send an employee on a business trip under the new rules?
The order of registration of business trips has changed. Note that travel certificates have been canceled in pursuance of paragraph 10 of section IV of the measures of the roadmap "Improving tax administration" (approved by Order of the Government of the Russian Federation of February 10, 2014 No. 162-r). Legislators canceled three documents at once: a travel certificate, a job assignment and a trip report. How to arrange a business trip taking into account the amendments? Can I continue to use the usual forms of documents? And how to account for travel expenses in light of the new rules?
Where can I get funding for the project?
A number of activities of the program to support small and medium-sized businesses, implemented by the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, are aimed at expanding the access of small and medium-sized companies to financial resources.

Lee Buchanan - Chief Editor Inc. magazine, former editor-in-chief of the Harvard Business Review.

The right questions keep you from being passive. They require reflection and then action. good questions open up new ideas and possibilities.

To compile this list of provocative questions for entrepreneurs and executives, we interviewed businessmen and management gurus, worked through blogs and favorite business books. We tried to find the original source, but somewhere the authorship can be disputed. We hope these questions will keep your mind sharp!

1. How can we become a company that will squeeze us out of the market? — Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group
2. Are we adequate? Will we be adequate in five and ten years? — Debra Kay, innovation consultant and writer
3. If energy were free, what would we do differently? — Tony Shay, CEO of Zappos (He has other questions: "What if storage was free? Or labor cost half as much or twice as much?")
4. What is it like working for me? — Robert Sutton Professor of Management at Stanford University
5. If we weren't in this market, would we be entering it today? And if not, what to do about it? — Peter Drucker, writer and consultant
6. What trophy would we like to attach to our robes? — Marcy Massoura, Marketing and Brand Strategy Director at MSL Group. She explains: “Different businesses define success differently. What is most important to you – growth, profitability, stability?”
7. Do we have bad profits? — Jonathan Byrnes, professor at MIT. He explains, “Some investments seem attractive, but they take capital and attention away from the core business.”
8. What indicators are we not counting yet? — Chip Conley, Founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality and Director of Hospitality at Airbnb
9. What are the smallest changes in the last few months that have brought a big positive result? And thanks to what? — Robert Cialdini, writer and professor of marketing at the University of Arizona
10. Do we pay enough attention to the partners on whom the success of our company depends? — Ron Adner, Tuck Business School Professor
11. What is stopping me from making changes that will make me a more effective leader? — Marshall Goldsmith, coach and business bestselling author
12. What are the consequences of this decision in 10 minutes, 10 months and 10 years? — Susie Welch, entrepreneur and writer
13. Do I always make eye contact with people? — Tom Peters, management guru
14. What is the smallest part of this problem that we can successfully solve? — Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator
15. Do we have time to change along with the world around us? — Gary Hamel, writer and management guru
16. If no one ever knew about my achievements, would I lead differently and how? — Adam Grant, Wharton Business School Professor
17. Which customers are unable to enter our market due to lack of skills, money or easy access to solutions? — Clayton Christensen, professor at Harvard Business School and co-founder of Innosight
18. Who uses our product in ways we don't expect? — Kevin Coyne and Sean Coyne, writers and strategy consultants
19. How likely is it that a client would recommend our company to a friend or colleague? — Andrew Taylor, head of Enterprise Holdings
20. Is this question subject to analysis or intuition? — Tom Davenport, professor at Babson College
21. Which of our leaders recently spoke to a client? — James Champi, management expert
22. Have my employees been successful today? — Teresa Amabile, professor at Harvard Business School
23. What word would we like to plant in the minds of our customers, employees and partners? — Matthew May, Innovation Expert
24. What do we need to stop doing? — Peter Drucker, management guru
25. What are the gaps in my knowledge and experience? — Charles Handy, writer and management guru
26. What am I trying to prove to myself and how can this undermine my success and the success of my business? — Bob Rosen, coach and writer
27. If I was put out on the street and another leader was hired, what would he do? — Andy Grove, former CEO of Intel. In 1985, Grove raised this issue with Intel co-founder Gordon Moore, and as a result, they abandoned memory production and relied on microprocessors.
28. If I had to leave my organization for a year and the only thing I could pass on to the staff was one paragraph of text, what would I write? — Pat Lencioni, founder of The Table Group
29. Who was our company at the height of its success? — Keith Yamashita, founder of SYPartners
30. What are we ready to stand for and what are we against? — Scott Goodson, co-founder of StrawberryFrog
31. Is there any reason to believe the complete opposite of what I am thinking now? — Chip and Dan Heath, professors at Stanford and Duke University
32. Do we underestimate the complex buyer journey? — Matt Dixon, director of research at CEB. He explains: "Companies often don't realize how customers get to them and how many channels of communication fail them."
33. How many of our strongest employees would like to work in the company in 3 years? How many will leave us for a 10% pay raise? — Jonathan Rosenberg, Google Executive Consultant
34. What did we not understand when we hired our worst employee? — Alberto Perlman, CEO of Zumba Fitness
35. Do we have the right people on board? — Jim Collins, management guru
36. Under what conditions will this option be the best possible? — Roger Martin, professor at the Rotman School of Business
37. How do I fail - every time the same way or differently? — David Kelly, founder of IDEO
38. When information becomes ubiquitous, when everyone is in contact with everyone, when computing resources are endless, and when the incredible starts to happen, what will become of our business? — Jonathan Rosenberg
39. Are we rewarding and promoting the people who help us the most to build a great product strong enough? — Jonathan Rosenberg
40. What is our biggest and audacious goal? — Jim Collins
41. Does our strategy really drive our strategy? Or does it all come down to how we allocate resources? — Mark Johnson, co-founder of Innosight. "Maybe you have strategic plan, explains Johnson, “but your employees keep it from happening every day.”
42. How does your personal way of thinking and the way you process information affect the culture of the organization? — Ari Weinzweig, co-founder of Zingerman's Community of Businesses. “Do they match? Maybe you dream of working together, but you yourself think alone? Want to create a “flat” organization but think hierarchically?”
43. Why don't our clients like us? — James Champi
44. How can we become more technologically advanced but stay connected to people? — James Champi
45. What do we need to start doing? — Jack Bergstrand, CEO Brand Velocity
46. ​​Which of my colleagues do I trust and why? — Charles Handy
47. Am I satisfied with my current role? And if not, what is missing? — Charles Handy
48. Do I leave 50% of my time unplanned? — Dov Froman, developer, manager, writer. 50%, of course, is a convention, but Froman insists that you need to leave enough free time in your schedule to have time to comprehend what is happening.
49. What would I recommend to my friend if he faced such a dilemma? — Chip and Dan Hits
50. What crime should the potential new employee, which will not only prevent us from hiring him, but at the same time show that he could suit us? — Pat Lencioni. Explanation: “Crime is a metaphor. It's about values. An idealistic organization may hire a person who has previously been punished for his beliefs or for reporting something unpleasant. And a competitive organization may hire a person who has previously been punished for arrogance or a difficult character.
51. If my grandmother became our client, would I advise her to buy what we sell? — Dan Pink, writer
52. If our company quit the game tomorrow, would it upset anyone who is not getting paid here? — Dan Pink
53. Is there something I believe in but almost no one agrees with? — Peter Thiel, entrepreneur, investor
54. Am I too keen on investing in capital at the expense of investing in people? — Tom Peters
55. Do we have enough weird clients to push us to the limit? — Tom Peters
56. Who do we want to take out of the game and why? — Brad Feld, Managing Director of Foundry Group
57. What will happen in this company when people start making mistakes? — Robert Sutton and Jeffrey Pfeffer, Stanford professors
58. How to motivate dishwashers? — Bill Kina, casino design consultant. According to him, the only correct answer is “If they are overloaded, I will roll up my sleeves and stand at the sink next to them.” And ask yourself at the same time: does our company care about the motivation of dishwashers?
59. Do our employees have the opportunity to show themselves every day with better side? — Marcus Buckingham, consultant and writer
60. Where is our petri dish? — Tim Ogilvie, CEO Peer Insight
61. For which Microsoft is our product Altair Basic? — Paul Graham
62. Do we say “no” to our clients for no good reason? — Matt Dixon
63. What if we turn for new ideas not to current acquaintances, but to those people whom we knew before? And who could it be? — Adam Grant
64. Do I see more potential in people than they see in themselves? — Adam Grant
65. Do I bet on improvements and higher incomes, or on cheapness and low cost? — Michael Raynor, director of Deloitte Services LP
66. What kind of clients would we like to have - knowledgeable and informed or poorly informed? — Don Peppers, co-founder of Peppers and Rogers Group
67. What are we challenging (as the Mac challenged the PC or Dove, the beauty myth)? — Mark Barden and Adam Morgan, founders of eatbigfish
68. How can we change the product selection criteria in our favor (how did Virgin America bring style back to air travel)? — Mark Barden and Adam Morgan
69. What have we done (or could have done) over the past year to enhance the perception of our company and brand as ethical and honest? — Robert Cialdini
70. For whom are we creating value? — Dave Ulrich and Norm Smallwood, founders of The RBL Group
71. Why should people listen to us? — Dave Ulrich and Norm Smallwood
72. How would our PR, marketing and SMM change if we did everything ourselves, and did not involve agencies? — Guy Kawasaki, founder of Garage Technology Ventures and Alltop
73. What was our last experiment? — Scott Berkin, writer
74. Who are our customers - fans of Pepsi or Coke? — Marcy Massour. This, of course, is a conditional and symbolic question: it's just that today companies can know much more about their customers than before.
75. What is the best alternative to this agreement? — Roger Fisher and William Ury, Negotiation Experts
76. What is best circuit developments in the post-industrial era, if purely administrative and hierarchical approaches do not work? — Tracy Fenton, Worldblu CEO
77. Are there four people whose careers I have helped? Who are they? — Alex Gorsky, CEO of Johnson & Johnson
78. How can we get away from the stereotype? — Shane Snow, co-founder of Contently
79. Whom (what department, what age group or other group) do we stop hearing in our company, and how to amplify their voices to energize the business? — Jane Hyun and Audrey Lee, partners of Hyun & Associates
80. If you take all the projects that we stopped, which of them would we like to be able to continue, and which ones should have been stopped even earlier? — Ron Adner
81. Do I bounce back quickly enough after setbacks? — Bob Rosen
82. Whom, in our opinion, does the world want us to be? — Geoffrey Moore, management guru and organization researcher
83. How can we build a startup that will live 100 years? — Phil Libin, CEO Evernote
84. What is the one thing we are doing successfully today that can block new growth opportunities for us? — Scott Anthony, Managing Partner, Innosight
85. If I could go back five years, what would my decision be different? Which of the decisions I make now will I regret five years from now? — Pat Lencioni
86. What stupid rule would we most like to get rid of? — Lisa Bodell, CEO of FutureThink
87. What megatrends could make our business pointless? — Michael Cusumano, professor at MIT
88. What important information for our organization do our managers ignore? — Max Beizerman, professor at Harvard Business School
89. What have we done to protect our business from competitors? — Tom Stemberg, Managing Partner, Highland Venture Capital
90. If I had to rebuild my organization without traditional competitive advantage(supertech, breakthrough research, innovative supply chain, etc.), how our people would need to work and act to achieve necessary success? — Jesse Sostrin, founder of Sostrin Consulting
91. What rules and assumptions does our industry follow? What if it's the other way around? — Phil McKinney, Innovation Expert
92. Will our decisions today help our planet and its inhabitants tomorrow? — Kevin Cleary, President of Clif Bar
93. What are our ideas about human motivation, and how does our approach to wages correspond to them? — Dan Ariely, professor at Duke University
94. How do we encourage people to take responsibility and control? — Dan Ariely
95. How do we want our clients to be? — Michael Schrage, professor at MIT
96. How can I keep inspired? — Paul Bennett, Creative Director, IDEO
97. Do I know what I'm doing? And who will I turn to if I don't know? — Erin Pooley, journalist
98. Do they use it? — Howard Talman, CEO 1871
99. What is our question? — Dev Patnaik, CEO of Jump Associates
100. How is business going? Why? — Thomas Stewart, Executive Director National Center for the Middle Market